2.2.4.- Honduras

With a share of 9% in Central America’s total export of fruits, vegetables and ornamentals in 2006, Honduras is the fourth in row according to export value of these sectors in Central America. Along with bananas, coffee is the country’s most important and traditional export.
Attempts to diversify agricultural exports have had some success, with exports of melons, pineapples, mangoes and other tropical fruits expanding strongly in recent years. Non-traditional export products have also benefited indirectly from the damage suffered by the banana sector as the pace of diversification into non-traditional products has accelerated since Hurricane Mitch in 1998, with many banana producers turning to the production of melons, pineapples, sugarcane and African palms. Melons, pineapples and African palm oil jointly accounted for 6.4% of total exports in 2005, a 50% increase on the share recorded in 2000. The sharp increase in oil prices since 2004 has opened opportunities for the cultivation of crops used to produce bio-fuels, such as African palm and sugar cane.

2.2.4.1.- Production

Area of production
In table 2.26 on the next page the area harvested for the major agricultural products is given, according to the data available. The two major export fruits, banana with and area of 42,000 ha and melon (other than watermelon) with an area of 11,000 ha in 2006, have increased in area to some extent during the period 2002-2005, with 23% and 18% respectively. Orange, which covers a large area of more than 20.000 ha in 2005, is not a major export crop, but has increased with 20% since 2002. On the other hand, grapefruit is a citrus fruit that Honduras does export. Other fruits and vegetables are grown to a far lesser extent and most of them show a stable harvested area since 2002.

Production quantity
Table 2.27 shows the production quantity for the major agricultural products.

The production quantity of banana has increased with 30% since 2002, pineapple has increased with 40%, and melon (other than watermelons) has an increased production of 21%. Compared to the area harvested (table 2.26), banana and melon increased their production per hectare slightly, however pineapple substantially increased productivity.  Notable is the increase in tomato production with more than 100% and the doubled production of cassava in four years time. Honduras is a strong producer of cucumbers to the United States with 73.400 tons in 2005, which is bigger than watermelons. Other crops have maintained a relatively stable production during 2002-2005, as compared to the areas from table 2.26.

2.2.4.2.- Trade

Export
Table 2.28 shows the export value (US$) of the major agricultural products for the sectors covered by this study. Honduras’ main export product, when the fruits, vegetables and ornamentals sectors are concerned, is banana with a share of 50% in the total export value from the sectors. Melon (other than watermelon) stands in second place with 12% and pineapple comes third with 7% of the total export value from the sectors.
In 2006 the export value of ornamentals was about US$ 6 million, of which mainly cuttings of ornamental plants and to a lesser extent, foliage.
The export of vegetables amounts to US$ 40 million us dollar in 2006, with 15% tomatoes, 18% cucumbers and gherkins, and 10% okras as the main vegetable crops. Preserved vegetables in solution have a share of 22% in the total export value of vegetables.
Fruit export accounts for US$ 190 million in 2006, an increase of more than 25% since 2002, and with a share of 72% in total export of ornamentals, fruits and vegetables. Banana is one of the main export products of Honduras and has a share of almost 70% in the total fruit export, followed by melon (other than water melon) with 18% and pineapple with a share of 10%. The value of prepared or preserved fruits and vegetables was US$ 25.5 million in 2006, with more than 50% consisting of juices.

Export trade partners
In the table below the main export partners of Honduras are given for the sectors covered by this study. 

Concerning ornamentals, the Netherlands imports almost all of Honduras’ ornamental export products. The United States is the main importer of vegetables from Honduras, followed by El Salvador and Nicaragua. Fruits go mainly to the United States (84% in 2006) and Belgium (10% in 2006). Prepared and persevered vegetables and fruits are mainly exported to the United States and countries within Central America.

Export to the Netherlands
The main exports to the Netherlands from Honduras consist of ornamentals (4.9 million in 2006) and fruits. In the export of fruit to the Netherlands some shifts have been made. In 2006, bananas were no longer exported to the Netherlands in the same volumes like during the period 2002-2005. The export of citrus fruit (mainly grape fruit) has increased significantly to 2.5 million. For melons, a general increase over the last five years can be detected.

Import
In table 2.31, the import value (US$) of the major agricultural products are given for the sectors covered by this study. The total imports of ornamentals, vegetables and fruits sum up to a bit over US$ 80 million. The main products being imported are apples and grapes, crops which are not grown in Honduras, but also dried kidney and white pea beans. 

2.2.4.3.- Agricultural supplies and services

As far as services and products for the agricultural sector are concerned, most services and products are available from local suppliers. Services for certification (consultancy and external audits are not available in Honduras. FHIA manages an agricultural / chemical lab for chemical analysis of soils, foliage, fertilizer and residues in fruits, vegetables, soils and liquids. Very few international suppliers have local presence or representatives in Honduras except for producers of chemicals and fertilizers. This is mainly due to the relative small size of the agricultural sector which is dominated by relative large companies.